Their Session: Spring Lake & Belmar Beach
Tara & Alex’s engagement session was simply a BLAST! We met up at Divine Park in Spring Lake, NJ, where we took photos around the scenic park, and spent some time with Tara & Alex’s ADORABLE pup, Tank. Tank was so cute, following Alex around closely the whole time. It always makes me so happy when furbabies get to be a part a shoot! 🙂
Next, we went to the super cool Belmar fishing pier, followed by Union Beach in Spring Lake – one of Tara & Alex’s favorite stomping grounds. I love when I get to photograph a place that’s meaningful to my clients!
Tara & Alex are so much fun, and just truly the kindest, most caring couple. Spending time with them is like hanging out with old friends for the evening. They’re such thoughtful people, and so sweet together. I can’t wait to share all of these photos (they CRUSHED their engagement session – but don’t take my word for it ;)), after I tell you all about their love story!
Their Love Story
I don’t know about you, but I just can’t get enough of love stories. I love hearing about how my couples found each other, and their journey along the way, right up to the day they get engaged. It’s so special to have my couples share their stories with me. Tara & Alex’s story is such a sweet one. If you ask me, their love story would make a perfect plot for a really good movie! 🙂
How They Met
In Tara’s words, here’s the story of how she and Alex first met & started dating, “My older brother, Frank, played football at Manasquan High School. I went to every single game and noticed Alex on the sidelines right away (I thought he was so cute!). I started high school at Red Bank Catholic, but after two months I transferred to Manasquan. I started my first day and had Frank walk me around since I knew no one. And who did I see walking right towards me that first day? Alex! When we first started talking, he told me he felt love at first sight and to this day, we always talk about those halls of Manasquan.”
“We didn’t start talking until December 2, 2006. It was the Manasquan High School State Championship Football game. In the first half, Alex got hurt and tore his ACL. He had to get taken off the field. Manasquan ended up winning, and I remember putting an away message on AIM (lol!!) expressing how excited I was and even gave him a shout out (not sure what I was thinking). Well, he found out through a mutual friend and we have been talking ever since. We walked the football field to his car every day after school and he drove me home for the rest of the year. We looked forward to our weekends where we went on Ocean Ave. drives and watched movies, wayyyy before Netflix! I recently found a note that my best friend left me in my locker one day in high school and she predicted that we would get married one day 🙂 We went our separate ways when he went away to college, but we always made sure to check in on each other. Even though there was time between talking, when we saw each other out and about, we still had that instant spark. It was Valentine’s Day in 2017 when I received a HUGE (5ft) box at my parent’s house. It was from a “secret admirer” and I instantly knew it was from Alex. At first, he wouldn’t admit it—but I bribed it out of him! We started to talk every day again like it was 2006. It was that May where I met him at the bar he worked at, the Parker House, and one of the bartenders told me he “wasn’t giving me a drink unless I went on a date with Alex.” Without hesitation, I instantly said yes! We went on a rainy Wednesday night to Strollo’s for some ice cream and that is where it all started again. We spent that summer doing the things we always loved—long walks at sunset, Ocean Ave. drives, and pulling all-nighters parked at the beach just talking about anything and everything. As cliche as it sounds, the rest was history …
The Proposal
Okay…this proposal story is one for the BOOKS. Alex knocked it out of the park with this one, so you gotta hear the details! Tara tells it best:
“Alex proposed to me on Tuesday, November 5, 2019. I am a teacher and had off that Thursday & Friday for Teacher Convention. In addition to working full-time at Marlboro High School, Alex is back at school obtaining a degree as a Funeral Director. He told me earlier that day that he had a midterm that night and was sending me study guides to print out at work because the printers at his school were down. I went ahead to help him out, trying to rush home to give him maximum time to study. I pull up to our house, and as I open the door, I was completely and utterly in shock. Our house was decked out from floor to ceiling with pictures of us, flowers, and balloons. And there was Alex kneeling on the floor asking me to be his wife.
Little did I know, Alex has been planning the proposal since this time last year. He entered a body transformation contest in hopes to win money to put towards a proposal, and in June 2019, he was announced the winner. He spent the whole summer planning and hiding things in our shed (smart guy knows I would never go back there!). To hear that I was his motivation and to witness his work hard for this special moment is something I will never forget. Alex is selfless; he constantly puts me first since the moment we met, and I could not believe my eyes when I walked through the door that day.”
When I asked Tara and Alex to each share one thing they love about each other, Tara said, “Alex can make me smile without saying a word. He is so thoughtful and goes out of his way for me, always. Gosh, I can’t wait to marry him :)” Alex said, “I love Tara’s work ethic, passion, how she always puts others first. Also she knows how to make me laugh, even when I’m hangry.”
Tara & Alex
Tara & Alex, you two are such a joy! I loved getting to spend an evening with you two (and Tank, of course!) exploring Spring Lake & Belmar! I am so grateful that I get to be a part of this exciting chapter in your lives and capture all these memories! I can’t wait to celebrate with you on your wedding day in June!! Until then, keep soaking in this exciting time of being engaged! Love you guys! xoxo
